When customers came to Capitol Teletrack on May 2 for the Kentucky Derby, a yearly event that still packed them in at 1776 Wabash Ave., a real estate broker’s phone number on a sign was the only proof that anyone has been inside of late. Sandwiched between a Salvation Army store and a plasma donation […]
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“A lot of things are getting confused”
The only revenue Springfield city government might forfeit to help pay for the proposed BOS Center expansion and new hotel next door would be the city’s share of hotel taxes on room rates at the site and part of the expected increase in city sales taxes. Those were guarantees that Sangamon County Board Chair Andy […]
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How do data centers benefit the places where they’re built? Local mayors give mixed reviews
The Illinois General Assembly continues to debate what to do about data centers as the artificial intelligence business keeps booming, and communities complain about their energy bills, noise and environmental impacts. Data centers are warehouse-like buildings that house computer servers and other infrastructure that power the internet, cloud storage and more, but massive data centers […]
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Family, friends, supporters honor fallen Illinois police officers
In a ceremony at the state Capitol, family, friends and supporters honored the lives of two law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2025. The ceremony honored Officer Krystal Rivera of the Chicago Police Department and Detective Tim Jones of the Park Forest Police Department. Held annually on the first Thursday […]
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“It didn’t have to end like that”
A federal jury in the Central District of Illinois has awarded $3 million to the family of a man who died while incarcerated at Jacksonville Correctional Center, concluding that a prison doctor and a private medical contractor were negligent in failing to treat a life-threatening condition. The verdict followed a weeklong trial in U.S. District […]
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Prison or treatment?
This story is a collaboration between Illinois Answers and the Chicago bureau of MindSite News. Bloomington native Shayla Woodworth had struggled with mental illness and addiction since she was a teen and spent time in jail in three states. She’d heard of mental health courts before but didn’t know much about them, and assumed they were something of […]
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Landowner leans on school districts
Dowson Family Farms, which has four parcels of land under contract to CyrusOne for construction of a $500 million data center project in Talkington Township, contacted area school officials to tout “a once-in-a-lifetime tax revenue opportunity.” Darrel Thoma, chief financial officer of Dowson Family Farms, sent a follow-up email April 3 to Becca Lamon, superintendent […]
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DOJ seeking Illinois voter data to purge suspected noncitizens, documents suggest
The Trump administration’s lawsuits seeking access to sensitive voter registration data in Illinois and dozens of other states is one part of a broader effort to purge state voter rolls of suspected noncitizens, according to documents filed recently in federal court in Springfield. Those documents were filed April 30 by attorneys representing the Illinois AFL-CIO […]
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Developer pledges $65 million annually to Logan County
Regardless of whether estimated new property taxes are accurate, Hut 8 Corp. would guarantee Logan County schools and local governments $65 million a year in annual payments if the company’s proposed data center becomes a reality. Gregory Irwin, senior vice president of energy origination and asset management for the Florida-based company, made that pledge April […]
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Illinois State Board of Education wants to revamp how it counts low-income students
The Illinois State Board of Education is asking lawmakers this year for $200,000 to develop a new way of counting low-income students. Although that’s only a small fraction of the overall $10.9 billion general revenue fund budget the agency is seeking to fund preK-12 public schools next year, the request points to a larger issue […]
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Sending the wrong message?
A sharp cough came from the BearCat’s engine as it struggled to start. After another try, the massive bulletproof vehicle outfitted with a turret booth and remote battering ram for bashing in doors and windows came to life. The driver, who asked not to be identified or photographed because he is “working in an undercover […]
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Chief addresses use-of-force policy
The Springfield Police Department’s chief sees calls for changes in the department’s use-of-force policy as opportunities to educate the public on how officers make split-second decisions that may result in viral posts on social media and accusations of police brutality. “Let’s sit down and talk about what law enforcement use of force is – what […]
